Dallas EMT Shooting Raises Questions about Arming First Responders

Dallas EMT Shooting Raises Questions about Arming First Responders

Dallas PD and first responders received a call about a suicide; the shooting spree that unfolded leaves many questions to be answered.

  • May 03, 2017

A Dallas paramedic was badly injured on Monday, May 1, when first responders received a call about a suicide on the East side of Dallas. When they showed up, a man open fired on the EMTs, critically injuring one.

Police scoured the neighborhood where the shooting took place for hours before finding him dead inside a home with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Another man, a civilian, was also found dead inside the home.

In the shadow of this terrible incident which ultimately left one dead, one critically injured and another wounded, a question is raised: should all first responders, including firefighters and paramedics, be armed when they respond to calls?

The shooting in Dallas highlighted several Texas bills that would allow first responders to carry guns on the job. House Bill 56, for example, would allow first responders with handgun licenses to use a handgun while on duty.

Many believe that arming first responders would give a false sense of security, noting that it is one thing to be trained to use a gun and another thing to know how to mitigate a violent situation. It is also very uncommon for first responders to arrive on the scene of a violent crime without backup from a local police department who are armed and trained to diminish such violent threats.

Currently, in Texas it is up to the city to allow first responders to carry guns while on duty, but at this time Security Today is unaware of any departments that allow this security measure.


Featured

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

  • AI Used as Part of Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

    A cybersecurity inflection point has been reached in which AI models has become genuinely useful in cybersecurity operation. But to no surprise, they can used for both good works and ill will. Systemic evaluations show cyber capabilities double in six months, and they have been tracking real-world cyberattacks showing how malicious actors were using AI capabilities. These capabilities were predicted and are expected to evolve, but what stood out for researchers was how quickly they have done so, at scale. Read Now

  • Why the Future of Video Security Is Happening Outside the Cloud

    For years, the cloud has captivated the physical security industry. And for good reasons. Remote access, elastic scalability and simplified maintenance reshaped how we think about deploying and managing systems. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.